Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-02-26
TRICKS OF FANCY.

/ is exciting much attention. The former
house surgeon in two prominent hOspit-
/ ais of the metropolis, and now head sur
/ geon to public Institution, said to a re-
porter in speaking Of the case: 81 have
seen mention Of the woman you speak
OF In some OF the papers, and can say
| that a careful eXlUratiOn under the opera
ton suggested will satisfy the surgeons
that the woman Is simply the victim OF
/ her own wild imagination. Have 1 met
/ with any cases of similar nature? Yes,
/ I have, curiOusly enough. One case in
I particular was that OF lady brought in
| TO the New York hospital not long ago.
This lady had an entire upper row of
artificial teeth. She went out shopping,
when as she was looking into a window
on Broadway she felt a tickling sensa-
/ ton in her throat. She lifted tongue on
the moment and realized that her false
teeth were missing. Uttering a cry OF
dismay she hurried from Broadway to
| Fifteenth street, her intention being to
make her way to the New York hospital
to have her false teeth extricated- which
she now felt positive she had swallowed.
/ Just within half block of the hospital
the lady felt the suffocating sensation in
her throat SO severe that she fell IL con-
vulsions on the pavement.
! She was at once conveyed to the hos
pital. When the patient recovered sufh-
GENTLY TO speak she explained that she
was certain that she had placed her arti-
! fetal upper teeth in her mouth when she
! left the house, and while IN the street
realized they had suddenly IOosened and
passed down into her stomach. The pa
! tent was questioned closely, and during
the conversation again displayed the
symptoms Of asphyxiatiOn and went of
into great agony and cOnvulsive ParOx-
yRns. There was now not the slightest
doubt but that the lady hRd swallowed
some foreign substance, and that it was
either passing down the ossoPhagus or
wedged in the windPipe. Immediately
tine patient was placed on her feet and
a strong light from laryngOscoPe cast in
to her throat. No obstacle Of any de-
scription could be detected. Neverthe-
less the wOman's respiration was forced,
and her symptoms Of aspyxiatiOn kept up.
It was decided to give the woman a better
chance to breathe by the removal o. some
OF her apparel, and to this end a female
nurse was called in and directed to dis
robe tue patient. The nurse removed
tie corset and skirts of the suffering
woman, when out rolled from the folds Of
the lady's chemise, at the shoulder the
missing ICw Of the artificial teeth which
the woman had been under the impress
sion she had swallowed. The nurse Sc
cured the teeth without telling the owner,
and gave them to the doctor. That gen
tlsmRn, upon returning to the patient
again, inserted an instrument into the
patients wind-pipe and, quickly with
drew it, announced he had secured the
cause Of all the trouble. The lady gazed
on her missing teeth in wonder, and gave
every Indication OF speedy recovery. 1t
was not until the patient had entirely re-
covered that she was made aware Of the
fact that she had not swallowed her teeth
at all
Another odd case that came under my
personal observation was that OF a south
eTn lady in a bOarding-hOuse up town. 1
was one morning summoned to this
Iady's house, and there L found her in
great agony upon a sofa, crying and de-
clarine she would lose her life, for she
had swallowed her false teeth. The
lady's husband was present and very
much excited. / questioned the woman
closely, and she described how she had
made 1t a practice before retiring each
night to place her teeth in a lumber Of
water near her bedside. She remembered
we'll that morning reaching over for her
teeth and placing them in her mouth be-
fore she got up. Then when she got on
her feet to dress she felt a queer sensa-
ton IN her mouth and instantly missed
her teeth. They were not in the glass Of
water, and painful feeling IN the throat
convinced her that she had swallowed
them. The husband left the room, and
directed the servant to move the bed
and turn out every part Of the covering
on the floor. This was done, and be-
tween the bolster and upper mattress
were found the false teeth.
Ihad another case Of a prominent New
York merchants wife. This lady came to
me In her carriage while I was at the
hospital, and astounded me by deelar-
ing that she had gulped down an upper
and lower set Of four teeth each. L ex-
amined her throat closely, and then told
her did not believe her teeth had been
swallowed. But she seemed quite fright
cred, and said must be mistaken, for
she actually felt them IN her stomach
At last agreed to accompany her to
her home to fully satisfy myself In her
case. I jumped In her carriage, and
few moments after was in her house.
summoned one Of the chambermaids, and
asked if she had done up the lady's
sleeping apartment. The domestic said
she had, and when questioned about the
teeth said she had not seen them. The
water the lady had used IN arranging
her toilet was still up ia the hallway in
the slop-bucket. I asked for the bucket,
and took a pair Of tongs from the graie
and ran it down into the bucket. AT once
L truck something hard, and getting
hold between the prOngs of the tOngs,
| 6shed up first one plate and then the
other. still have had two cases in nv
/ time where teeth actually got In the
I windpipe, but not q whole set. I sxtri-
Gated the teeth Ia both these instances.
They were swallowed In eating, and did
not get so Tar down as the stomach. I
have heard Of e case where q young doc
/ tor who had etherizsd his patient had
/ great effort to save her life through a
couple Of large false teeth becoming
loose and wedgng up the Windpips dur
/ ing the operation. would adViEs that
doctors, before administering any ana
thetie. ascertain If their patient has false
teeth, and. If go, to cause the removal Of
the same during the operation